The AFC Champions League Elite (ACL Elite) is Asia’s top club football tournament, and Gulf clubs sit at its centre. It runs as a 24-team competition split into West and East regions, sharing a total prize pool of USD 50.5 million. Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli won the 2025-26 edition, and Gulf sides regularly reach the Riyadh-hosted finals.
What is the AFC Champions League Elite?
The AFC Champions League Elite is the rebranded top tier of Asian club football, organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It replaced the old AFC Champions League format from the 2024-25 season, cutting the field to 24 elite clubs and concentrating the money and prestige at the top. A second-tier competition, the AFC Champions League Two, now sits below it, with the AFC Challenge League beneath that.
The 2025-26 edition was the 44th season of Asia’s premier club competition and the second under the Elite banner. Twenty-four teams from 12 associations took part, making it a far more selective tournament than the sprawling group stages of previous years.
How is the tournament structured?
ACL Elite is split into two geographic halves, West and East, to cut down on the punishing travel across a continent that stretches from Jeddah to Tokyo. Each region contains 12 clubs that play a league phase, after which the leading teams advance to a knockout round of 16. The competition then converges for the later knockout rounds, culminating in a centralised finals stage. Recent finals have been staged in Saudi Arabia.
For Gulf clubs, the West region is effectively their arena, pitting Saudi, Emirati, Qatari and Iranian sides against each other and against strong opposition from Uzbekistan and beyond. This is a different rhythm from the domestic UAE Pro League season, where the same clubs chase the local title.
Which Gulf clubs represent the region?
Saudi Arabian clubs have become the dominant Gulf force. Al Ahli of Jeddah won the 2025-26 title, their second continental crown, while Al Hilal of Riyadh remain one of Asia’s most decorated clubs and qualified again for 2026-27 as Saudi Pro League runners-up. The United Arab Emirates is carried chiefly by Al Ain, the 2023-24 continental champions, whose deep run underlined that Emirati football can still win at Asia’s summit. Qatari clubs such as Al Sadd and Al Rayyan complete the region’s regular representation.
- Saudi Arabia: Al Hilal, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and other Saudi Pro League qualifiers
- UAE: Al Ain, with other UAE Pro League sides rotating in
- Qatar: Al Sadd, Al Rayyan and fellow Qatar Stars League clubs
How much prize money is on offer?
The 2025-26 ACL Elite distributed roughly USD 50.5 million across the participating clubs, a sum that dwarfs the payouts of the old format and reflects the AFC’s push to make the Elite tier commercially serious. The exact winner’s cheque varies by season, but the concentration of money in a smaller field means every knockout tie carries real financial weight, on top of the qualification it grants to global competitions.
| Feature | Detail (2025-26) |
|---|---|
| Teams | 24 (12 West, 12 East) |
| Total prize pool | ~USD 50.5 million |
| 2025-26 winner | Al Ahli (Saudi Arabia) |
| Finals host | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
How do clubs qualify?
Slots are allocated by association based on AFC club competition rankings, which reward leagues whose clubs perform well continentally. In practice this has handed Saudi Arabia a strong quota. Clubs earn their place mainly through domestic league position and national cup wins, so a title challenge at home is the gateway to the continental stage. Winning ACL Elite also opens doors beyond Asia: the champions qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and a future FIFA Club World Cup.
Why does it matter for Gulf football?
Continental success is the clearest proof that Gulf investment in football is translating into results, not just headlines. Saudi Arabia’s recruitment of global stars, backed by the same national ambition driving its giga-project strategy, is measured most credibly on the pitch in Asia. For the UAE and Qatar, the tournament is a stage to test academies and homegrown talent against the region’s best.
FAQ
Who won the AFC Champions League Elite in 2026?
Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia won the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite, their second continental title, with the finals staged in Riyadh.
How many teams play in the ACL Elite?
The tournament features 24 teams from 12 associations, divided into a 12-club West region and a 12-club East region.
Which UAE club plays in the ACL Elite?
Al Ain is the UAE’s flagship representative and won the 2023-24 edition; other UAE Pro League clubs qualify depending on domestic results and AFC slot allocation.
How much prize money does the ACL Elite pay?
The 2025-26 edition shared a prize pool of about USD 50.5 million among the participating clubs.
Bottom line: The AFC Champions League Elite is where the Gulf’s football ambitions are judged. With Al Ahli and Al Hilal leading the Saudi charge and Al Ain flying the Emirati flag, the West region has become one of the strongest halves of Asian club football, and the tournament’s rising prize money keeps raising the stakes each season.
